Most Expensive Cars in the World

The mind-bending thing about the most expensive cars in the world is that many of them are not available at any price, since they’ve already been sold. Some are extremely limited editions or even one-off creations. To acquire such a car, it’s not enough to be merely rich. Buyers also need to be well-connected in addition to being phenomenally wealthy. At this level, companies often choose their clients instead of the other way around.

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The mind-bending thing about the most expensive cars in the world is that many of them are not available at any price, since they’ve already been sold. Some are extremely limited editions or even one-off creations. To acquire such a car, it’s not enough to be merely rich. Buyers also need to be well-connected in addition to being phenomenally wealthy. At this level, companies often choose their clients instead of the other way around.

Luxury is rarely the motivation in super-expensive cars. It’s speed that costs big bucks because it requires exotic materials, plus incredible development and technology to rival a space program. Let’s see what’s around when money is no object, listed alphabetically.

Photo Credit: Aston Martin

Aston Martin Valkyrie: $3.2 million

The Valkyrie is a hybrid supercar created in collaboration with the Red Bull Formula One racing team. Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport, and it has created some neat hybrid drivetrains. But they’re not as interesting as the Valkyrie’s, which is a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 that’s augmented by an electric motor to provide something like 1,130 hp.

Red Bull’s genius aerodynamicist, Adrian Newey, contributed to the Valkyrie’s design that cleverly creates downforce without adding wings. The car also weighs around 2,270 pounds, which is ridiculously light. Part of the weight-saving program is a metal Aston Martin badge on the hood that’s thinner than a human hair. The Valkyrie is expected to be street-legal in the United States.

Photo Credit: Bugatti

Bugatti La Voiture Noire: $18.7 million

Among 10 of the most expensive cars in the world, one has to be the dearest. This is it. The La Voiture Noire (French for “the black car”) is a one-off creation based on the already scarily expensive Chiron supercar.

Beneath the body of hand-formed carbon fiber is the same Chiron drivetrain: a quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine generating an insane 1,479 hp, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and all-wheel drive. Top speed is electronically limited to 261 mph. But this car’s suspension settings are supposed to provide a more relaxed ride. The buyer of La Voiture Noir has been the subject of some conjecture, but his or her identity remains unknown as of this writing.

Photo Credit: Ferrari

Ferrari Sergio: $3 million

Ferrari made six examples of the Sergio and only a handful of VIP clients were invited to buy one. Named after the son of Battista “Pinin” Farina, the legendary designer whose work is an integral part of Ferrari’s heritage, this car was hand-made at Pininfarina’s own building facility, using the Ferrari 458 as a base and taking the 458 Speciale version’s 597-hp 4.5-liter V8.

While the concept didn’t have a windshield or a removable roof, the production versions added those creature comforts. Like a lot of cars on this list, the Sergio’s rarity will push up its values once examples start appearing at auctions. Whether Ferrari will invite those sellers to purchase more rare machines in the future is a different matter.

Photo Credit: Lamborghini

Lamborghini Veneno Roadster: $4.5 million

It means “poison” or “venom” and packs a 740-hp bite from a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12. Production was limited to only nine units, all sold. Before this open-topped version, there were three coupes.

The Veneno is set up to deliver race-car thrills while being street-legal. Top speed is 221 mph, but the important thing is that while Lamborghini’s designers were fashioning an incredibly aerodynamic body, they didn’t forget that it also had to look like a truly outrageous Lambo. Tastes will vary, but some of the most expensive cars in the world might appear wild yet not particularly stirring. The Veneno Roadster pulls off both attributes. And to hear that V12 engine making maximum horsepower at 8,400 rpm would be awesome.

Photo Credit: McLaren

McLaren Speedtail: $2.1 million

Imagine going from standstill to 186 mph in 12.8 seconds. In a hybrid car. And that’s not even the top speed; the Speedtail is claimed to hit 250 mph. McLaren has earned its expertise and reputation in Formula One, hence the lightweight body of carbon fiber and the extremely aerodynamic shape.

Total output from the gasoline/electric Speedtail’s drivetrain (McLaren is stingy with details right now) is about 1,036 hp and the car’s dry weight is just 3,146 pounds. What also makes the rear-drive Speedtail intriguingly different is that it’s a three-seater, with the driver in the center, and one passenger either side and set slightly further back. There are no sunshades, but parts of the overall glass area can be darkened electronically.

Photo Credit: Mercedes-AMG

Mercedes-AMG One: $2.72 million

Another of the most expensive cars in the world is another hypercar derived from Formula One. In the past few years, Mercedes-AMG has been the dominant team in this highly technical form of motorsport, with its star driver, the British Lewis Hamilton, winning multiple world championships.

The 217-mph One uses an actual F1 engine, a turbocharged 1.6-liter V6. Yes, only 1.6 liters, but it makes an amazing 748 hp. Four electric motors are added for an output in excess of 1,000 horsepower (the full specs have yet to be released). The engine can spin up to a crazy 11,000 rpm. It only lasts around 31,000 miles before owners need to return it for refurbishment. Hamilton has worked on the development, and the chassis is also based on an F1 car.

Photo Credit: Pagani_

Pagani Huayra BC: $2.8 million

Pagani cars aren’t sold in the United States, but any American with the money to buy one is probably a jet-setter. The Huayra BC follows on from the Huayra. The BC parts are the initials of Mr. Pagani’s late friend and buyer of the first Pagani car.

“Carbon triax” (a new material said to be 50 percent lighter and 20 percent stronger than carbon fiber) construction means this car’s dry weight is only 2,685 pounds, while its 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 sourced from Mercedes-AMG provides 745 hp and 811 lb-ft of torque. There are other weight-saving measures too, like a sparse cabin, because the BC’s main focus is track work. Pagani made 20 examples, each one spoken for.

Photo Credit: Pininfarina

Pininfarina Battista: $2 million (approximately)

If anyone is wondering what the next big thing is, where to invest those spare millions, this could be it. According to its makers, this is: “The most powerful Italian sports car. Ever.” The 2020 Battista is the first supercar from Pininfarina, a company that has created many classic Ferrari cars over the decades.

The unusual thing about the Battista is that it’s all-electric. Four motors generate a massive 1,874 hp and 1,694 lb-ft of torque. Standstill to 60 mph happens in under two seconds, which is phenomenal. Top speed is 218 mph. Maximum range, meanwhile, is claimed to be around 300 miles. Production will run to 150 units, with 50 coming to the United States.

Photo Credit: Rolls Royce

Rolls-Royce Sweptail: $12.8 million

This was the priciest of our 10 of the most expensive cars in the world before the Bugatti La Voiture Noire arrived. This is a one-off coupe based on the Rolls-Royce Phantom, with rear-hinged doors and the most complex glass roof to ever be installed on a car.

It’s a two-seater, with a champagne cooler and a couple of flutes in the center console. There are lots of other things like highly polished ebony, billet aluminum and the finest leather known to man or cow (apparently, Rolls-Royce has its own herd). But the main reason why it’s so expensive is that it was hand-made over nearly four years. The marque says the “Sweptail is the automotive equivalent of Haute Couture.”

Photo Credit: W Motors

W Motors Fenyr SuperSport: $1.9 million

We’ll close with one of the “cheapest” from 10 of the most expensive cars in the world. Of course, $1.9 million is still a lot considering the company is probably unknown to most of us and doesn’t have the usual cachet for this price range.

However, the Fenyr SuperSport absolutely looks the part and achieves 245 mph. That’s thanks to 799 hp from a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six engine sourced from Ruf, a famous Porsche tuner. The rear-drive SuperSport also uses a Porsche PDK transmission. Naturally, the body is all carbon fiber. This is the successor to the Lykan HyperSport from W Motors, a Lebanese company. The cars, however, are assembled in Magna Steyr’s facility in Austria. Ten launch editions of the Fenyr SuperSport will be made, followed by a limited run of 100 units.